Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday met two Hamas West Bank-based leaders at his office in Ramallah in the first high-level talk between the rivals in months.

The Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Aziz al-Dewik, who was freed from Israeli prison last week, and a Hamas lawmaker Mahmoud al-Rumhi started the meeting with Fatah chief as soon as they arrived at the Palestinian presidential headquarters.

In June 2007, Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces and ousted his Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip. Since then, Abbas has barred his followers from holding official talks with Hamas until February when Egypt launched national reconciliation talks between the Palestinian factions.

The meeting took place as representatives of Hamas and Fatah are expected to hold the final round of talks in Cairo, awaiting Egypt to declare the reconciliation by July 7.

(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2009)